Need info on German Sig P220s for potential trade

[UKWildcatFan]

I'd like to trade my Ruger Mini-30 for either a Sig 220 or 227. I was offered. 1987 "safe queen" German-made P220. I know these are basic, well-built .45s without the newer stuff (rails, etc). Is there anything else you can tell me about the older ones? Yes, I've used the search tool on here, and read up on it...but that string is 3 years old. I wanted to have newer info of the newer Sigs to compare. Thanks.

 

[Otto]

I own 7 Sigs two of which are a German P220 & P226 made in the early '90's. With that said, when it comes to P220s I think there has been a lot of improvements made.
Newer guns balance better, have better finish, are smoother in function, have more reliable internals, and are just as accurate.
Don't get hung-up on the Made in Germany thing.
Would a trade a Mini 30 for a LNIB vintage P220? Certainly, yes.

 

[Slamfire]

My recollection was that the older slides were made from stampings. Current slides are hogged out of a solid block of metal. I doubt it makes much of a difference in longevity.

This thread had some good comments: https://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=207582

Here too: http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=738099&highlight=West+German+Sigs+VS+US+made


It is my opinion that the current American made SIG's are just as well made, and perhaps better constructed than the German made versions. I would not pay a premium for an older gun just because it was made in Germany.

 

[Ohen Cepel]

With no knowledge on the specifics here, I would quickly trade the Ruger 30 for a German made 220.

I think the German made SIGs will keep going up in value much like the pre-64 Winchesters. May not be for a good reason, but that doesn't always drive the value.

 

[matthewpittinger]

The German sigs are defiantly creeping up in value, I would make that trade in heart beat.

 

[1KPerDay]

The older P220s had thinner frames and hooked hammers. I have one. Some grips may not fit. May want to read up on the differences. As for German VS. recent I pick German. New ones are fine guns also.

 

[Float Pilot]

The older German made P220s had slides that were made from bent and welded flat stock. The newer US made guns are milled from block castings.

Last week I compared some brand new Sigs to three of my old 1980s vintage West German marked Sigs. I prefer the workmanship and balance of the older Sigs.

 

[bannockburn]

I had a Browning BDA .45 (early German made P220), and it was very well designed and built, along with being one of the softest recoiling .45s I have ever used. Accuracy with it's fixed sights was just a notch below that which I could get out of my Colt Gold Cup at the time. I would definitely trade a Ruger Mini-30 for a German made P220.

 

[wgsigs]

I can tell you a few facts, as I know them, about the older P220s with the stamped carbon steel slides. The 1987 you are looking at is pretty much the original design with the pointed hammer spur. Around 1993 and serial number G211300 SIG reinforced the frame, which can be seen on the right side of the frame between the grip and trigger. A little later at serial number G219166 SIG changed to a rebound hammer with the rounded spur and added safety notch. I do not know what year the P220 changed over to the milled stainless steel slide. Between 1995-1996, SIG began assembling some P220s in the U.S. from German parts and marking the slides "Made in Germany", without the "W".

 

[rodinal220]

Those I believe would have a fixed front sight,small spur hammer,no hammer return spring. In the Mid 1990s SIG beefed up the frame a little.Thats all a can remember.

 

[SwampWolf]

For a while, later Model 220s were fitted with an internal extractor which some people reported having problems with (though I never did with mine). Newer Model 220s (and 227s) have returned to the external extractor, which many shooters believe to be a better set-up. I have no opinion on the matter but it's an issue you might should be aware of.

 

[boricua9mm]

For a while, later Model 220s were fitted with an internal extractor which some people reported having problems with (though I never did with mine).

If I remember correctly, the earliest 220s to ever come into the country were the Browning BDAs. These guns had internal extractors waaaay back then. I seem to remember the US-made guns switching to the external extractors, which I believe coincided with the advent of the milled slides. The big problems seemed to rear their ugly head with the 220 ST series, which despite having milled slides, used an internal extractor, causing a switch to the external extractor, and the subsequent re-designs of that extractor. It was a real cluster ph....

I could be wrong; sometimes I remember things a little differently than others

 

[9mmepiphany]

For a while, later Model 220s were fitted with an internal extractor which some people reported having problems with (though I never did with mine). Newer Model 220s (and 227s) have returned to the external extractor, which many shooters believe to be a better set-up.

Just as a point of clarification.

Sig 220s started with internal extractors. They retained these extractors when they changed over from the folded carbon slides to the milled stainless ones.

Some, none of mine either, milled stainless slides had feeding issues because of the location of the extractor in the slide and stacked tolerances.

SIG never did a recall and addressed the issue on a piece by piece basis. However, they did eventually change the 220s over to the external extractors

 

[SwampWolf]

QUOTE: ... the earliest 220s to ever come into the country were the Browning BDAs. These guns had internal extractors waaaay back then. I seem to remember the US-made guns switching to the external extractors, which I believe coincided with the advent of the milled slides...

The switch to external extractors came way after the "advent of the milled slides". My milled slide Model 220 Carry had the internal extractor-which, as I mentioned earlier, never gave me any problems whatsoever.

 

[boricua9mm]

The switch to external extractors came way after the "advent of the milled slides". My milled slide Model 220 Carry had the internal extractor-which, as I mentioned earlier, never gave me any problems whatsoever.

Sorry, but I disagree. The driving force for the milled slide was the development of the P229 and the concern about durability with the .40 S&W and .357SIG cartridges. All of these "early" milled slide guns had external extractors. Once SIGArms was set up with CNC equipment to mill out slides from a solid block of steel, they carried this manufacturing method over to the rest of the guns in the product line. Simply put, it made zero sense to have a pinned in breech block as a potential failure point in the slide. They could not eliminate this setup with the folded and welded slides of old.

The fact that some imbecile at SIG decided that 220s with milled slides were special, and that they should have internal extractors is immaterial. It was a bad decision, and it bit them in the arse big time. They were having TONS of problems with milled slide 220s using internal extractors. It was apparent right away.

 

[kBob]

Not sure what the OP is looking at but....

The BDA in .45ACP had a heel type magazine latch, no recoil spring guide rod, and the front sight it not driftable or easily replaced.

Until the last time she broke her wrist it was my wife's favorite autos though she had difficulty reaching the old style trigger (and so first round was to her right) and so thumb cocked the pistol if she had time.

After the 1911 types it is my favorite .45 ACP as well.

-kBob